OMA: Luxury restored – The Hindu

Pronounced Sanskrit Om, luxury home and interiors boutique OMA recently opened the doors in a three-storey Victorian building in Kolkata.

It is located at the crossing of Elgin Road and Woodburn Park Road, right next to a row of luxury boutiques from Ritu Kumar, Anita Dongre, Shantanu and Nikhil. OMA is on the ultra-luxe spectrum of things with Paul Smith candles and Venetian mouth-blown glass chandeliers.

This is one of their largest stores (out of 13 across the country) spanning approximately 3,200 square feet. Across three floors. OMA took over a 120-year-old Victorian era building in the area and renovated it over several months. “Although the building’s facade was dilapidated, its bones were sound. That’s why we saw immense potential in this heritage mansion and knew it was the ideal location for OMA’s Kolkata store,” says Gaurav Chopra, Director and Creative Head, OMA.

Kolkata has long recognized its richness in heritage architecture. Restoration of old buildings has become increasingly popular with organizations such as Calcutta Architectural Legacies (CAL) as well as boutique hotel and café owners and artists taking up the cause of improvement and awareness. So OMA is not the first by any means.

“The main challenge of renovating this building was to retain its original charm and ensure that it meets modern standards”. OMA’s background in interiors and architecture “played an important role”, he says. “The foundations required significant work, and extensive reconstruction was required to stabilize the structure. However, we ensured that every aspect was thoughtfully restored, reflecting the essence of the space, like every piece of OMA that represents the original beauty with a touch of luxury,” says Chopra.

The building’s French windows were pierced by rectangular tall windows to “maximize natural light”, while the staircase was made one of the focal points. The original railings were preserved and used with a renovated staircase. A small capsule lift was also added to aid in easier passage through its three floors. The building’s naturally high ceilings were another important feature and helped “to accommodate elegant chandeliers, including exquisite Murano pieces”.

Other products on display also build on its vintage theme, including the luxurious four-poster bed that showcases its soft upholstery, the bedside chaise lounge, or Wedgwood’s beautiful floral print tableware, which is an English Looks like a tea party picture.

The color palette is understated and dominated by light pastels reminiscent of Scandinavian interiors including various shades of light beige gray and cream. Brief pops of color come from earth tones with woody greens in giant vases, or the stunning cherry wood Finnish yacht replicas by Simple Kied.

The home fragrances and candle section range from premium to the highly acclaimed Paul Smith’s Bookworms or the Parisian candle brand Troudons. Other tableware high on the swag quotient is the Konitz line of wide pouches or trinket trays, coasters, coffee cups and travel mugs featuring Picasso artwork. What else would a ₹3,595 coaster be if it didn’t have a little soft flex?